Michelle Ringeisen explores the complexities of identity and human connection through her South African heritage.
Her work is deeply informed by the Ubuntu philosophy—the belief that our humanity is realized through our relationships with others and the environment.
Artist Statement
My practice examines the binding elements of our shared existence, focusing on the universal threads of equality that transcend cultural and societal divisions.
I explore the nuances of collective belonging through two distinct formal approaches. In the Connected series, I employ kinetic abstraction to map the invisible energies of reciprocal respect; these compositions utilize rhythmic cohesion to represent the vital, inclusive currents that sustain our social fabric across diverse backgrounds.
Parallel to this, my Matriarchs series uses representational imagery of elephants to meditate on heritage and belonging. By layering translucent tissue as a symbolic skin, I interrogate identity through the lens of ancestral memory and the maternal structures that anchor the individual within a shared, universal history.